The Future of Augmented Reality & 5G — Wireless Marketing for AR Is Right Message Aimed at Wrong Audience

What does this mean for AR and the promises of 5G around it? In the near-term, not much. Even if 5G was widely available and cheap, we're still not equipped with the kind of wearable AR devices that would take advantage of such networks.

For now, enterprise AR is likely where the best examples of 5G will emerge to show off what's possible. Based on Magic Leap's software roadmap, which was made public around this time last year, the company will begin rolling out enterprise solutions soon, which would seem to be the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the power of its (real version of) 5G relationship with AT&T.

Nevertheless, even as we're still in a holding pattern for consumer AR devices that could take advantage of 5G, all signals indicate that our ubiquitous, 5G-powered wearable AR future is right around the corner.

Perception: 5G will change everything in AR.

Next Reality: 5G means higher wireless bills, but don't expect drastic improvements to AR mobility as rollout will be excruciatingly slow in most places.